Baxter's Gambit
"Baxter's Gambit" is the 19th episode of Season 1 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It premiered on April 5th, 2013. "Who dares to enter the Maze of...DOOM?" Official Description Following a three-way fight between the Turtles, the Foot, and the Kraang, Baxter Stockman convinces Shredder to let him use a full-proof plan. His true intentions with the plan involve seeking revenge on the Turtles (who have been foiling his plans) and Dogpound and Fishface (who have been abusing and threatening him) by luring them all into a deadly labyrinth called the Maze of Doom. Now the Turtles, Dogpound, and Fishface must form a temporary truce to get out of the Maze of Doom alive. Meanwhile, Splinter works to find the right weapon for April as she learns more about Splinter's past. Plot The episode starts off with the Turtles spying on the Kraang on a rooftop, with Baxter Stockman, Fishface and Dogpound across from them on another rooftop. Donnie reveals that the Kraang are holding a "Subspacial Endal Particle Disruptor" or SEPD for short. This weapon causes the target to implode. Across the way, Dogpound and Fishface have their fun pushing Stockman around. Under his breath he vows to get even. The turtles and the Foot mutants both attack the Kraang at the same time, while leaving Baxter stranded on the roof. Raph, shocked, says that he must be dreaming, and to pinch him. Mikey pinches on the cheek, of course, followed by Raph hitting him in the back of the head. The Turtles begin to fight the Kraang, but Dogpound gets in their way, so they begin to fight him while Raph fights Fishface. One of the Kraang droids grabs the particle disruptor and fires it at Mikey, but Donnie rushes and tackles him out of the way, imploding a nearby car. The turtles give up the fight and leave, and soon Dogpound and Fishface do the same. Back at the lair, Splinter teaches the turtles that evading a sword or weapon you cannot see shows the intentions of your enemies. Raph states that he knows the intentions of his enemies, to take him down. Splinter counters that sensing an incoming attack could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Back at Shredder's hideout, Dogpound and Fishface blame Stockman for the failure and, to their surprise, he agrees. He offers to make amends and reveals that he has a full-proof plan that will destroy the turtles, if he can use Dogpound and Fishface to lure them into it. Shredder agrees. Later that night, the turtles spot Dogpound and Fishface standing in the open, and Leo tells them to wait and proceed with caution, but he finds his brothers gone and already fighting, so he runs over to help them. Fishface and Raph face off yet again, but Fishface is easily defeated, as is Dogpound by Leo, Donnie and Mikey. They run away with Raph running after them, despite Leo stating that something isn't right, but they run after him as well. Meanwhile, in the sewers, April is training with Splinter until she asks when she will get a weapon. Splinter states that she already possess the Kunoich's most powerful weapon, the mind. April asks when was the last time he saw someone hit someone with their mind. Seeing that she has a point, he lets her choose a weapon. The turtles catch up to Dogpound and Fishface in a parking lot, when a red circle forms around them, and their surroundings turn to black and white stripes. Mikey observes that it just might be a trap. Baxter calls over an intercom, saying that they are in his "Maze Of Doom" and that if they manage to solve it they could walk away with the grand prize, their very lives. He then shoots misslies at all of them, including Dogpound and Fishface. The Foot mutants berate him for a traitor but Stockman shoots back that he has had enough of their threats and insults. He also hints at the presence of a "Monster of Doom". He presses a button that causes the ground under them to disappear and the group of mutants fall in. They fall into a round, checkered, tunnel and begin to fight each other yet again, until Leo sees laser axes starting to appear. They stop fighting, as they all realize what's happening. One laser axe nearly hits Fishface, but Raph pushes him out of the way, though he doesn't really know why he should. Leo suggests they stop fighting and work together to escape. Dogpound refuses and is also almost hit with an axe, but Leo throws a shuriken at the blades hinge, so it passes Dogpound, only cutting off one of his spikes. Raph doesn't think they should trust the Foot mutants but Leo doesn't see any other option, and trusts that they will see a betrayal coming. Back at the Lair, April works her way through several weapons including a Chigikiri, a Morning Star, and a pair of Bunrai which she nearly almost kills herself with. They make their way to the next room, where Dogpound smells the exit at their right. But then metal balls with laser shredders attack them, as they manage to get to the exit. Dogpound sniffs the air, and realizes that they have been there before. A few seconds later, they are split into two groups by a metal wall, with Raph and Fishface being cut off from the others. Leo sees Donnie using his T-phone, and tells him that there is no signal, but Donnie realizes that he might be able to use it to track down Baxter, however, he will need time. In order to keep Stockman talking Mikey asks Baxter what made him interested in being a villain, so Baxter tells him since he won't be alive to read his Autobiography he will just simply tell him, but as soon as he starts, Mikey quickly loses interest. Back with Splinter and April, Splinter gives her a Kusari-fundo, a Japanese chain whip to practice with. She loses her grip on it and it flies across the room and breaks the photo of Splinter and his family. April picks it up and hands it to Splinter, who says that she reminds him of his daughter, and he goes to his room, to look for something. Still in the maze, Raph complains to Fishface that they are walking through the world's longest tunnel "of doom" when it ends with a giant fan. It then begins to turn, and begins to suck them in. Fishface uses his robotic legs to plant his feet to the ground, but Raph gets sucked in and heads straight towards the fan. But before he can get shredded, Fishface catches him at the last second by the leg, and then kicks the floor so they can escape the fan into a black room. Raph says that this makes them even, but Fishface confesses that he wants to finish him, not Baxter. Back with the other group, Baxter keeps talking about his life, recalling how he was expelled for using real lava for a science fair volcano that incinerated the entire gym and vowed revenge on those who "wronged" him. A thoroughly bored Mikey replies that he's a poor, poor man. Suddenly, the tunnel starts to bristle with rotating laser turrets. Dogpound and the turtles fight their way through. After a long moment of silence, Raph asks what Xever is doing with Shredder. He says that in many ways it's all he's ever known. Apparently Xever grew up as a homeless street urchin in Brazil. Sometime in his youth, he realized one of the basic rules of crime: You want something, you take it. Over the next 20 years, Xever became Brazil's greatest thief. Unfortunately, when trying to steal a briefcase, his luck ran out. He was sentenced to prison, where the owner of the briefcase Xever was trying to steal visited him. He was released from prison and served him, taking many of the Foot's "dirtier" jobs. He says that his most recent order was to destroy Raph, his brothers, and Splinter. Raph realizes that he does this because he owes Shredder, but Xever states the real reason he does it is for his love to "crack skulls", which Raph can relate. Dogpound, after the last laser turret is destroyed, yells that he willl find Baxter, and Raph and Fishface hear him behind the wall. Fishface kicks the wall open, and the two groups are reunited. Donnie finally thinks he's got a lock on Baxter, and Dogpound rips the tile open, but the floor collapses under them. They find Baxter who is annoyed that they didn't destroy each other and has them fight his monster "of doom" which bears a striking resemblance to his Stockmanpod armor. The boys begin to fight, but Baxter gets the best of them. Baxter even uses his Mousers. Leo tells Mikey and Dogpound to lure the Robot Monster under Baxter, but he's too fast. He then tells Raph and Fishface to take the shot. Fishface slides on his back, and Raph jumps on his robotic feet, and then gets launched at Baxter, destroying his control saucer and crashing it down on the robot. Baxter manages to escape with a helmet helicopter and flies away. April waits, and sees Splinter come out with a fan in his hand. He says that he was hoping to give it one day to his daughter, but that she should have it. She says that it's beautiful, and he shows her that it makes a good weapon by throwing it at the tree. It's razor edge cuts deeply into the wood. April finally has her weapon. The Boys finally find a way out, and decide to finish their earlier fight. Mikey swings his nunchucks around, but is too tired to do anything. He is only able to say "Booyaka-" and yawns. They are all to exhausted to battle so they decide to just forget about it, and leave. Mikey declares that Raph and Fishface make one good team, but Raph says that Fishface will still take them down when he gets the chance. Fishface has that chance, and throws one of Baxter's balls with laser shredders at Leo, but before it can hit him, Raph is able to sense it and catches it with his Sai. He says to trust their senses, and that they'll see it coming. Fishface wickedly smiles at Raph and walks away impressed. The turtles watch them leave, ending the episode in a comic style. Splinter's Wisdom "Knowing '''that '''your enemy will strike is a given. Sensing' when'' '''they will strike could mean the difference between victory and defeat." Trivia *The episode title is almost the same as the 2003 series episode "Bishop's Gambit". *This episode is similar to the Teen Titan episode "Mad Mod'. **Due to the swirling hypno backgrounds. **The team being separated. **The traps. **The maze designs. *This episode tells the origin of Fishface. *It is the second time we see the Mousers. *The main character is Baxter Stockman. *April is given a weapon; Tessen. *The Tessen Splinter gave April were going to be given to Miwa. *April learns more about Splinter's family. *This episode gives a small hint that Karai is Miwa as Splinter said that if she was still alive she would be April's age. *This is the last known appearance of Baxter Stockman. Gallery BaxterGambit.jpg Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Fishface-21-.png Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Fishface-18-.png Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Fishface-14-.jpg Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Fishface-13-.png Category:Episodes Category:Season 1 Category:The Show